President Bola Tinubu has approved the promotion of his Aide-de-Camp, Nurudeen Yusuf, to the rank of brigadier-general.
The move, announced in a letter dated 12 December 2025 from the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Wahid Shaibu, has stirred reactions within the Nigerian Army.
The promotion comes less than a year after Mr Yusuf was decorated as a colonel in January 2025.
Military officers, including some of his former coursemates, have reportedly voiced concerns about the rapid rise, describing it as unusual and questioning the reasoning behind the advancement.
While the Presidency and the Army have not formally explained the promotion, a source within the Presidential Villa indicated that the elevation was intended to match Mr Yusuf’s rank with other senior security officials serving the President.
The source said that similar moves occurred in the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Services, where the President’s key security personnel were recently promoted to ranks equivalent to brigadier-general.
Without the promotion, the source said, Mr Yusuf would have been lower in rank than his counterparts, potentially affecting coordination and unity among the Villa’s security team.
Nurudeen Yusuf became ADC to President Tinubu on 1 May 2023, about a month before the President assumed office, holding the rank of lieutenant-colonel at the time.
This promotion marks his second major advancement in less than two years.
